The first UFC main event of 2025 saw a slick submission finish as Mackenzie Dern claimed a third-round victory over Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 101.
Brazilian contenders Dern and Ribas faced off in a strawweight rematch in the main event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, with Dern looking to make amends for a disappointing performance against her compatriot in their first meeting.
Ribas claimed the unanimous decision victory on that occasion back in October 2019, but in the rematch it was Dern who emerged victorious after their battle went all the way into the closing seconds of the third round of their five-round main event matchup.
Dern and Ribas were level on the scorecards after two rounds, but towards the end of the third, Dern managed to get the fight to the mat, where she worked hard to put her world championship-calibre grappling skills to good use.

And despite some smart defence off her back from Ribas, Dern stayed patient and composed to work herself into position to lock up an armbar with just four seconds left in the round.
Dern’s submission victory took her UFC tally to five to put her tied for second place in the all-time submissions list in the strawweight division. More importantly, it secured her 16th professional victory and gave her back-to-back wins in the UFC for the first time since 2021. It may also put her in a fight with top five-ranked opposition next time out.
In the night’s co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio claimed a third-round TKO finish of Carlston Harris, while former kickboxing world champion Cesar Almeida claimed a dramatic comeback win with a one-shot knockout of Abdul Razak Alhassan in their middleweight main card matchup.
There was also a little controversy at the end of the other middleweight bout on the main card, as Roman Kopylov claimed a TKO victory over Chris Curtis after referee Mark Smith stepped in to stop the fight with just one second of the bout remaining.
The main card kicked off with a big KO, as Punahele Soriano stopped Uros Medic in just 31 seconds to go 2-0 in the UFC as a welterweight after dropping down to the 170-pound division last year.
UFC Vegas 101: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:56
- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:13
- Cesar Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:16
- Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO (head kick) – Round 3, 4:59
- Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Punahele Soriano def. Uros Medic via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:31
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Felipe Burns def. Jose Johnson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:04
- Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:04
- Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 1:13
- Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Fatima Kline def. Victoria Dudakova via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:27
- Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)